Assembly Speaker outlines ethics bill

Wednesday, April 13, 2005 | 11:17 a.m.

CARSON CITY, Nev. - Responding to a flurry of illegal and unethical behavior by Nevada public officials, Assembly Speaker Richard Perkins and Attorney General Brian Sandoval are trying to tighten the state's ethics rules.

The incidents have resulted in a "severe deterioration in the public trust in government," Sandoval said Wednesday as he presented an ethics reform bill to the Assembly Government Affairs Committee.

In recent months, the state controller has been impeached by the Assembly and convicted by the Senate of illegally using state resources for campaign work, Las Vegas Councilwoman Janet Moncrief was indicted for filing false campaign finance reports and Assemblyman Chad Christensen, R-Las Vegas, was fined $4,500 for 52 campaign finance violations.

AB419 is a direct result of some of these violations, said Perkins, D-Henderson, although he did not mention any public officials by name.

Perkins insisted the proposal rises above partisan politics. In a proposed amendment, he removed a provision that would have forced his expected rival in the 2006 governor's race, Sen. Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas, to resign from office before running for governor. The provision was good public policy, he said, but it had become "fodder for the public debate that goes on in this building."

Perkins' bill would create a short time frame in which local officials could raise money while holding office. It would increase penalties for public boards that violate open meeting laws, and in some cases allow the attorney general to investigate those violations. It also would provide stronger protection for whistleblowers that expose corruption.

The proposal also clarifies the law barring public officials from using state employees, resource or time for political work - the charges brought against Controller Kathy Augustine in her impeachment trial last year. Augustine admitted violating ethics laws and is paying a $15,000 fine.

Under the bill, fines imposed by the Ethics Commission would start at $10,000 - twice the current fine for a first offense - and could go as high as $30,000.

"We support the Legislature giving the attorney general's office and our office more tools," said Stacy Jennings, head of the Ethics Commission.

Assemblyman Pete Goicoechea, R-Eureka, said he was concerned that the bill's open meeting penalties could pile on heavy fines for small boards and community groups run by volunteers.

Boards that violate the law twice in five years would face a $5,000 fine, and $10,000 for additional breaches.

"I'm concerned that you might have a public body that had been functioning this way forever, not realizing they were in violation of the open meeting law," he said.

Assemblyman Joe Hardy, R-Boulder City, said the bill didn't give local politicians enough time to raise money.

Under the bill, officials couldn't begin receiving funds until 30 days before the deadline for declaring their candidacy. That could leave them only four months to raise money, while non-incumbent candidates would have no restrictions.

"This ain't good," Hardy said. "It's more stringent than what we have. I get a little uncomfortable when we start singling out one group and not the other."

Lawmakers can't raise money 30 days before or 30 days after a legislative session. Perkins brushed up against that law this session, when Titus supporters revealed that Perkins' Web site was accepting contributions. Perkins called the incident a technical mistake, and refunded the donations.

The speaker said the restriction on local officials "may be a little too tight," and that he's open to amendments.